Arctic Region is Beginning to Melt

The artic region of our planet is very important to our survival and the stabilization of our climate. The artic contains a large amount of ice, which not only provides a climatic service to Earth but also a habitat for people and animals alike. With the recent increase in overall warming of our environment, it has caused many problems for inhabitants of that norther region. This has posed many issues for the locals who live in these areas.

As the overall temperature of the earth has started to increase over the years, ice caps in the artic have started to melt. This has caused a problem, as many people and animals use the ice as a place to live and have seen the ice retreat at an alarming rate in recent years. Animals like polar bears have seen a decline of their habitat over the years, causing many problems for them like lack of shelter and food sources. The ice also provides a source of hydration, as the salt in  the water is eliminated if it is frozen over a long period of time. In addition to these issues, the reduction of ice in the artic area has also made inhabitants weary of traveling on foot. As the ice begins to melt, it makes the surface dangerous to walk on, as there is a constant worry of whether or not the ice could give away and someone could fall through. This decrease in ice is going to continue to pose threats to humans and animals that live in this region.

Ice caps have started to become thinner and thinner, and covering less surface area in the recent areas. As the ice begin to thin out and reduce, the amount of sun and heat that ice reflects back into space begins  to decrease as well . This loss of ice also causes an increase of sunlight absorption, which aids the process of melting ice, causing a continues cycle of decreased amount of ice. The temperature increase could also lead to a change in the northern jet stream which is the wind flow that circulates through the northern hemisphere. Scientists theorize that this warming of the artic and the already warm temperate zones will cause an unhealthy shift of wind streams. Cool air from the artic will be sent down south, and heat waves will shoot up north causing an uneven shift in temperature.

As we continue to abuse our planet and cause these environmental issues, we have to remember that some humans face these global changes more directly. We have to be more mindful when it comes to our climate, as people living in the artic region have faced these global hardships more often than we have. People living in the southern hemisphere need to be more aware of the challenges these people face and become advocates for their environments improvement. The artic is very important for our planet and the survival of our ecosystem. We must be more mindful about issues pertaining to this area in order to help revitalize it completely.

One Comment Add yours

  1. holly.taylor says:

    Anytime the topic of climate change comes up, we always hear about how the ice caps are melting- but the discussion of what the consequences are barely makes it to the table. I like how you ended on a ‘put yourself in the other person’s shoes’ type of theme, climate change impacts all of us, but some populations are more vulnerable than others so good job bringing light to that.

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